Panic
by number1brawlfan
Summary: Barry reflects on what makes him and Wally different, even though they have a lot of similar traits with their powers, and deals with one of these differences.


**I thought I'd write this in honor of this headcanon that I had. Granted, it related to BLurr from Transformers and will be implemented in the fic centered around him that I'm writing, but it can be applied to this one. Basically it has to do with speedsters (Blurr), because of their physiology and the fast pace of their ability, they're more susceptible to panic attacks. So I thought I'd apply this to Wally, especially since his exposure to the accident was at a younger age than Barry's and there are things effected by this.**

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The joy of being a speedster was the rush that it brought. The high speed, quick time, and convenience really got Barry's adrenaline going. Fighting crime was an adventure and exciting and made his work day a lot more bearable. It made him feel alive. And while it may have conflicted with his family life and day job at times, he never took the former for granted, making an effort to keep it well preserved. He simply appreciated the accidental gift he was given.

However, it wasn't an easy gift to pick up. He was still learning about the extent of his speed. Time travel, the physical strain, and the Speed Force were still things he had to truly master. It also made slowing down and enjoying life difficult at times, more so than usual. Even so, he was learning about it every day and every day he was getting one step closer to mastering it.

Then there was Wally. Even though they shared quite a number of abilities, like healing, speed, and time travel, Wally's accident and exposure to the Speed Force at the age that he did threw Barry's general understanding of it out the window. Because Wally was hit while he was still developing, Barry could see just how differently their powers effected their body.

One being Wally's metabolism. Wally was constantly hungry, eating more than Barry ever could or needed. He never gained weight, staying at a normal body weight for his age and height, but his increased molecular speed made it difficult at times to stay sustained for long periods of time. It made keeping the house stocked intriguingly fun. He could clear the house if he wanted to, but with the help of Barry, they were able to find a way to regulate his diet with this change. As well as packing the house to satisfy Wally's sporadic cravings.

Then there was Wally's brain activity. He was always a rather intelligent kid, not that he actively paraded said knowledge around, but the added speed helped him process information a lot faster. It was something Barry was familiar with, but not on as big a scale. Wally's mind raced, running through ideas in a blink. Gauging and monitoring his mind in a way that would make sense took time and patience, but not impossible.

And then there was the strain it put on his body. While it physically drained him at times, something that Barry wasn't too concerned about since he was familiar with it himself and could help Wally in that regard, it was the mental and emotional stress that was the real trouble.

Wally had emotional highs and lows. His highs consisted of energetic euphoria. It never got too intense, but other times, Wally was a ball of energy that sometimes could not calm. These high speed outburst were manageable with patience and some meditations courtesy of Barry and Iris. It wasn't much, but it was beneficial.

The lows, like Barry currently found himself in the midst of dealing with, were worse. Wally would get so overloaded that he could barely move. Anything could cause them. Stress. Frustration. The world around him. His life. Even his family life. He could be set off by anything when he hit these lows and luckily Barr was well prepared for them when they happened.

Wally was balled up in a corner, shaking. His hands were holding onto his head and he was sweating. Barry was kneeling in front of him, planning how to get his nephew to calm down. Grabbing him, even if it was meant to be comforting, wasn't going to be his first move.

"Hey buddy." Barry calmly sighed. "How are you?"

Wally didn't answer. His eyes were dilated and he was in a trance like state. Knowing that he had to get his attention, regardless of the reaction, Barry carefully grabbed Wally's wrists. Wally flinched, snapping out of his zoned out state. He looked at Barry, who gave him a soft grin.

"Talk to me." Barry requested, swatting a bang out of Wally's face.

Wally took a few breaths. He knew he had to calm down if Barry was going to understand him. When he was ready, emerald green eyes locked onto blue ones. They were alert, but something in Wally's eyes appeared drained.

"I'm so tired." Wally whispered.

"Tired of what?" Barry asked.

"Everything. School's a drag. I can't sleep. My parents won't stop going back at each other and take it out on me. I don't even want to be Kid Flash anymore."

That was a sentiment that Barry understood. While he couldn't relate to Wally's family matters, he could understand Wally's current distaste for crime fighting. Sleep was an issue too, but probably not as extreme as Wally's.

"I get it." Barry related. "I really do. You feel overwhelmed. Distressed. Exhausted. You feel like you're trapped and you just want out. I won't try to sway you from anything. I'm here for you, you know that. However, I see your potential and I know everything will be okay."

Barry moved his hands from Wally's wrists to his shoulders as he pulled Wally closer. He held onto Wally, engulfing him in something real. Barry could feel Wally's shaking come back, causing him to tighten his grip.

He didn't say anything, waiting the panic attack out with Wally. He was patient, knowing that this wouldn't last forever.

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 **Let me know how I did. I've done panic attacks with Dick Grayson (a character that I like reading panic attack fics on that usually end with fluff/comfort), but I've never done Wally with panic attacks.**


End file.
